


Pancakes with Rhino

by Relibria



Category: Spider-Man (Comicverse)
Genre: Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:49:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22435177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Relibria/pseuds/Relibria
Summary: Sometimes Rhino likes to sit in a diner at 2AM. Sometimes a teenage Spider-Man swings through the area. Some nights, he stops to say hi.
Kudos: 15





	1. 2 AM

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! Thanks for clicking through! This was inspired by the first few issues of the Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) comics! Of course, you don't need to have read them to understand this (I don't think!) but if you want some great canon interaction, I recommend!

The seat was a bit too tight for the large man with leathery gray skin. The cushion sagged, and he could only just barely fit into the booth if the table was pushed all the way to the other side. A normal chair would be out of the question if he wished to truly relax, nerves about breaking the seats kept him from trying. Besides, booths were more comfortable anyway.

In his hand was a white mug. It was normal-sized, but looked a hell of a lot smaller in front of him than it did in front of most people. Of course, he wasn’t most people. It was midnight; the diner was as empty as it could be. He brought the cup to his lips. 

“Rhino?”

He nearly choked on the hot liquid. That voice. He knew that voice, “Whaddaya want, Spidey? I ain’t doin’ nothin’.”

“Y-yeah, I just wanted to, you know, see if everything is okay.” 

Aleksei’s grumbled sigh tumbled from his hunkering body, glancing over at the red-and-black spandex outfit. At least it was the kid, and not the… bigger kid. How did that whole thing work anyway? Not that he particularly cared. Spider-Man was his enemy; this little Spider-Man supposedly would be too. Should be. Hadn’t been always, but that little incident had been an exception. 

“Everything is fine. Ain’t it past your bedtime?”

“I don’t have a bedtime.” 

It was said so quickly that Aleksei smirked, “Parents let you stay up late nowadays? When’d that happen? Yesterday?”

Even behind the mask, Rhino could see the kid’s shoulders drop in a huff, “If you’re going to be a jerk then fine. I got other stuff to do.” 

He turned, the pout shown throughout the boy’s entire small frame making Rhino glance up to the ceiling and roll his eyes with that same grin, “Leaving so soon? C’mon, sit with me.” 

That froze the young man in his spot. He glanced towards the woman behind the counter, as though she would have any answer for him. Of course, she didn’t. And Rhino had a feeling he knew why. She had some connection with Adrian - the Vulture. She wasn't a villain herself but she was sympathetic towards Adrian's crowd. But again - none of his business. His business was in front of him, a kid torn between walking away and staying.

“Don’t you hate Spider-men, er, people?”

“Just the one guy. The Queens one. You’re the Brooklyn one, right? You and Cap were talking about it last time I saw you.”

“Why does everyone hate -” It was mumbled and muffled behind the fabric of the mask, but he was walking over to the seat regardless. And then he noticed: the table pushed against the far seat to give Rhino enough space, “You’re playin’ me? Man, that ain’t cool.”

“I’m not playing anything,” he reached out for a nearby chair, pulling it over, “I’m just a big guy.”

“If you sit, you gotta buy something,” the lady behind the counter called as she leaned back against the wall. That froze the Spider-Kid in his tracks.

“Uh….”

“I got it, kid. You like pancakes?” 

“Pancakes? Yeah- wait, no you don’t have to-”

“I know. Bring the kid a stack,” Rhino glanced over the scrawny Spider-Man, “A big one, so the little guy can put some weight on. Get hit with anything harder than a paper ball and you’re gonna snap like a toothpick.”

“Hey! I’ve been hit plenty of times-” the kid stopped the sentence, and shook his head, “And pancakes? Rhino-”

“What’dya want to drink? Are you lactose intolerant?”

“No, but-”

“And a glass of milk. That calcium will do you good too.”

“Why are you doing this? Getting me food and all? I can just go back to my dorm-”

He was silent a moment, realizing how much he had given about himself in just that sentence. Aleksei couldn’t see the boy’s face, of course, but he could tell that what he just said was enough. So he tried to ease the boy’s anxieties with a wave of his hand. 

“What kind of food you have? That ramen stuff? Cheetos? At least the stuff here is made out of things you’re supposed to eat.”

“But, why?”

That question kept coming up. Rhino looked into his cup again, as though it would hold a simple version of the answer. It probably wouldn’t be so complicated to the geniuses around him, but emotions were never his strong point. Well. No, at least one emotion was his strong point: Anger. 

“Ask me again later. Not sure I have the smarts to say.”

Again the Spider-Man’s shoulders fell. This time not in a huff, but in what could almost be described as sympathy. It didn’t give Aleksei the best feeling, but it got the kid to slide into the chair, “Dude, you gotta stop putting yourself down like that. Maybe you’re not a genius, but there are other ways of being smart. And being book smart isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. This guy I know is one of the smartest people I’ve met when it comes to books and science and all of that stuff. But when it comes to everyday things? Complete dumbass. Heck, I get good grades, I enjoy school and all that. But girls, man. They make me so dumb sometimes. And not because I’m tryin’ to be something I’m not, no, just, I forget how to be a person.”

“Huh,” Rhino didn’t offer anything further. He knew the kid was just trying to help him. He knew the kid was hoping that his words would make him feel better. And in some regards, the words did. But that wasn’t something Rhino was interested in showing, “Quiet night?”

Thankfully, the kid seemed to get the hint with the change of subjects, and he stretched as he thought - his hand going to the back of his neck, “Yeah. More or less. I mean, there was something going down on 36th, but it took like two seconds. Especially ‘cause the other Spider-Man was there too. We kinda were able to team, though one of us could have easily handled it.”

“How does that work?”

“Huh?”

“You and Spidey. I mean, the other Spidey. Do you have shifts? He’s cool with this? Not that it matters much.” 

“He is?” 

“Was that… a question?”

“It’s just… well, things are complicated. Like, _super_ complicated. When he told me that I could be Spider-Man, it was because _he_ was dead, and now he’s not - well, he still is - not him, but other him, my him, which is not the current my him, but that’s a whole _other_ thing,” the Spider-Kid probably noticed Rhino’s brow raised, “Not that Spidey is a zombie or something! I mean, maybe in some way…. No, but he’s fine now. I think. I don’t know. It’s complicated.”

“Uh… huh. Guess I don’t get why it’s so complicated. Both of you have spider powers, whatever that means,” the waitress came to the table, placing down a tall stack of fresh buttermilk pancakes, syrup on the side and a large glass of milk.

“Thanks, Ma’am.”

“Polite young man,” she praised, “you’re welcome, hun.”

“Eat,” Rhino waved his hand towards the food in invitation. One that the little Spider was hesitant to accept at first. He looked at the food, pausing a moment. Aleksei tilted his head in confusion, it was almost as if the Spider-Kid was inspecting for danger. Maybe he was. Was that how that Spider-Sense thing worked? But after a moment, his hand went to his mask, lifting the fabric up just enough to uncover his mouth.

Between slightly-too-big-bites, the Spider returned to their discussion.

“Well, I think it’s just ‘cuz there was some distance before between us. And now that we’re closer, I think he sees what goes on and it freaks him out a bit. He worries a lot. And I get it. But like, I can make my own decisions. You know? It’s not his fault if I die.”

“Kid,” suddenly, Rhino felt a tug at his stomach. Sure, he had tried to kill the other guy quite a few times but he couldn’t even find a hint of the desire to see the young man before him fall. Though this was the life of a superhero, if the guy was going to put himself in the line of fire, it might hit sooner or later.

“I know he knows what it’s like, and I know he wants the best - for everyone. Literally, for everyone, you - me, the waitress here, but I’m old enough to make my own decisions about this stuff. And I got these super powers. If he can’t stay on the sidelines with his powers, why does he think I can?”

“Kid -”

“He’s lost a lot of people, and man, I have too! So much death…. I made a deal with the devil because of it- please don’t ask. But I’ve also met a lot of great people, friends, teammates. This is a part of me too, whether he likes it or not. And when the Inheritors came by, I was in just as much trouble as the rest of the spider people! I mean, if Doc Ock can be a spider-man, why can’t I?”

“You know he’s a day older than you, right?” 

“And I don’t mean to be crapping all over Spider-Man. He’s a pretty cool guy. Yeah, he makes mistakes, but everyone does - right? I know Peter’s always trying his best and I can’t ask him for more. I don’t want to rely on him so much. His life is _insane_ and the last thing he needs is to babysit me! He won’t ever say anything about it, because he’s too chill, but I can only imagine-”

“You care a lot about what Peter thinks, don’t you?” 

The boy froze. 

“Shit.” 

“Ugh! I can’t believe I did exactly what I got upset about with G- with my friend for doing! And at least that was with a relatively good guy. You’re-”

“Not,” the voice was flat.

“Oh man, no, I mean- no, like - well, you don’t have the best track record but-”

“Kid. Relax,” the waitress came over with a fresh pot of coffee, Rhino pushed his mug towards her, giving a quick ‘thanks’ before returning to the matter at hand, “I’m trying to be better. I’ve gotten a lot of chances, a lot of opportunities to try again. ‘Sides, I’m not above fightin’ dirty, but that might be a bit too dirty for me. Be careful though. Some of the others ain’t so nice.”

“I know,” Spider-Man sighed, finishing the last of his pancakes, “Ugh, I am such an idiot sometimes.”

“You’re in good company,” Rhino took out some cash, placing it on the table. “I come by here every now and then. If you see me, come say hi. Maybe having you around will help me be better.”

“Oh, sure, yeah - I’ll keep an eye out for you,” those large eyes on his mask focused on the money, “I’ll get it next time. Thank you, Aleksei. Really. And honestly, from what I’ve seen, I don’t think it’s going to be that hard for you to be a good guy.”

Aleksei wasn’t quite sure what it was, but having the young boy before him believe so whole-heartedly in him, it meant something. Spider-Man really wanted the best for him, “Thanks, Spidey. See you around.” 

Spider-Man stood, pulling down his mask before waving good-bye. He walked out the door, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

He wasn’t entirely sure what he was expecting. It was a week later, Rhino sat in the same booth. The same waitress was there. She was always there, especially now that Rhino was known to frequent the diner. She was the only one not afraid of him. She came over, filling the coffee, “No sign of him?”

Aleksei grimaced, not sure why the question struck like it did, “‘Course not, Ramona. The kid’s a Spider-Man. A superhero. I’m just….”

“You’re just as important as any Spider person,” Ramona put her hand on her hip, “Don’t talk yourself down like that. It helps no one, least of all yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah,” it was a deflection, something that the Rhino had become quite good at. Deflecting other people’s thoughts, opinions, yells, insults, punches. Why did he care now what a young boy from Brooklyn thought about him? Especially Spider-Man? No. _I got no reason to give a damn-_

The bell above the door jingled. Rhino’s eyes darted straight towards the cause of the sound. 

An older gentleman with a mustache and round glasses gripped his messenger bag, gulping as he looked right into the villain’s eyes. “Uh, nevermind!” 

Why was it so disappointing? Why did he feel so upset now? He returned his gaze to the coffee, hoping that the waitress Ramona hadn’t caught the hope and despair that coated him as thick as the hide on his back. 

“Wow, who died?” a voice he recognized. Muffled from fabric, but clear and melodic with youth, “wait, er… that’s a bad question because there might be an answer-” and then quietly, with a squeak, “Please tell me no one died. I really, really can’t handle that after my week.” 

“You came?”

“Uh, I was in the neighborhood,” the Spider-Kid noticed the chair that had been pulled up to the table, “Anyone sitting here?” He knew the answer. It was more a formality. 

“You,” Rhino gestured, and Spider-Man sat. Rhino leaned back, “Hey, Ramona. Another tall stack. The last ones didn’t stick. Get some eggs on there too. Whatever you think can fill him out. Could still snap him like a piece of uncooked spaghetti. And don’t worry kid, I’ll get the tab.”

“Weird flex, but okay,” Spider-Man tilted his head, “You know I can pay for my own pancakes, right?” 

“What, with your two-buck-a-week allowance?” Aleksei snorted, “Sure. Do you even have a job?”

Spider-Man didn’t answer. He glanced away, “School _is_ my job.” 

“Your parents tell you that?”

Spider-Man nodded. 

“Smart. Gotta get that education so’s you don’t end up like me,” Rhino leaned back. There was something about this set up. Him. The Spider-Kid. A quiet diner with some pancakes and no staring eyes. It wasn’t that he was interested in becoming best friends with the super hero. Lack of a real name kept him from getting attached. But still, he liked this. 

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Spider-Man lifted his mask again as the pancakes and eggs were placed in front of him. He thanked the waitress and returned to the lingering question. 

“You were nice to me first,” Rhino shrugged, “I don’t live to beat on people. That’s not my game.”

Spider-Man accepted the answer and stabbed his fork through the fluffy layers of pancake. This moment? It made him happy. A kid here, relying on him. Not that Spider-Man needed him, no matter how young he looked. But being able to give the kid some food and be company for him, it made Aleksei feel… needed? Wanted, but in a good way?

“You can be real cool, Aleksei. Y’know, I could talk to the guys and see if you can’t be on a team with us,” the suggestion was from a place of purity, desire to help _him._ Aleksei was used to being recruited for the recruiter’s gain, his own benefits only a temptation, “I’m sure you’d be able to be a part of Oksana’s niece’s life if you were cool with Cap and all of them.” 

“Thank you, Webs, but -” But what? What else was he going to be doing? Sitting in a diner, hoping not to run into a situation that would get him into trouble for the umpteenth time? This was a chance to prove himself, to make something of himself. No longer just the _enemy,_ but - like that Squirrel Girl had said - the _unicorn._ Okay, so perhaps that moment had been a bit weird in more ways than one, but thinking of yourself as a unicorn as opposed to a grumpy rhino had been relatively beneficial. “But I don’t think I’m ready… to decide yet.” 

“That’s cool, man. Don’t rush it. As long as you aren’t doing anything illegal or like, hurting people you got time. I do know we could use someone with your strength on our side.”

“Doubt the other Spider-Guy would be happy about it.” 

“He’ll get over it. He’s forgiven Doc Ock, and now _that_ guy is a Spider-Man, remember?” Spider-Man had finished those pancakes (how fast did teen boys _eat_ ?) and now was animating his argument with his hands, “I don’t want you to let stuff like that keep you from being the best you. Because this guy? Right here? The one I’ve been seeing? He isn’t a bad guy. He could be a hero. But I don’t want to pressure you, because this team-up superhero business is _not_ for everyone, I’ve almost quit _so_ many times already -”

“You’ve been a superhero for how long?”

“But just because you don’t do _super_ things doesn’t mean you aren’t a _hero,_ right?” 

The feeling inside was a strange one. Rhino wasn’t used to this amount of kindness. All he could do in response was let his lips melt into a heart-felt smile. 

“Thanks, kid.”

* * *

“The worst part about fighting that guy, for real, is like his entire body is that stuff - right? So like, when it gets in your nose or mouth - what part of him is that?” Spider-Man was emphatically gesturing towards the imaginary enemy outside the diner’s glass window. Rhino’s head was on his palm as he listened. 

“Sounds gross,” he offered, taking a drink. 

“It’s just… no, ugh, I hate when we gotta fight that guy. There are enough heroes, I don’t need to be a part of that battle. Pass. Hard pass.” 

* * *

“You want some of this? I never see you eating, bro,” he held up a piece of bacon, “Share with me.”

Aleksei leaned back, raising a hand in polite declination, “I’m alright. I don’t eat the stuff.”

“You’re a vegetarian?” 

“Rhinos are.” 

“But you aren’t really a rhino, right? It’s just a schtick?”

“Is there no part of you that’s a spider? And the other Spider-Man, is he all human?” 

“No- well,” the young superhero’s gaze went to the half-eaten pancakes before him. “Well, I mean. I was human before… And the other guy was too....”

“As was I. But things change.”

The superhero was quiet. It was as though Rhino could see the wheels in the boy’s mind turning. He took a bite of the bacon, “Huh.” Another moment of silence and then Spider-Man spoke again, “You can be an herbivore all you want, but the moment I start craving flies I’m done.”

* * * 

“I mean like, he thinks he’s gotta do all this stuff. Tells me how to be a Spider-Man and then when I get a scrape he back peddles on everything. He’s not that much older than me but he acts like… like he’s my dad! I have one of those already, I don’t need two telling me what to do.” 

“He’s always seemed to be one of those uptight kinda people. Lecturing others on being responsible when he’s just got a cushy life,” Rhino shook his head, “He talks, but with how he goofs off in a fight it seems he doesn’t know the first thing about responsibility. He ain’t ever had a tough day like us.” 

“I mean, sometimes he lets things get away from him, but he does really work hard...” The young spider-man had his hand on the back of his neck, rubbing through the fabric as he stretched.

“It’s easy to work hard when you only have one thing to worry about. The rest of us here have to learn how to make it with what we’ve got,” it was starting. There was a rage. A rage he only ever associated with that bug. The one who was at the epicenter of the moment that told him he could never have a quiet life.

“Dude, I get that you don’t like him, and that’s fine - I know a few people who don’t - but his life is actually insane and-”

“And how much of that is his fault? Gets people killed and then lectures me. Because of him, my wife was killed. He said we would be okay and then we weren’t.”

“I don’t know the full story, but-”

“He broke his promise. He betrayed me again when we agreed to protect each other against Black Ant and Taskmaster.”

“Okay, that I do know about and I know for _sure_ there are details that you don’t know. Your feelings are valid, Aleksei, and you can feel betrayed. I just… want you to know that what happened there was complicated.”

“How complicated can it be? He claims to be amazing and he claims to have power. How can he be so amazing if he chooses who he wishes to save?”

“Hey, Rhino, you know that’s not right. Look, I do complain about him a lot but he _is_ a good guy.”

“I’m sure Peter is great,” he saw the stiffening of the young Spider-Man’s body, the boy looking away in shame, “if you are innocent, he will save you.”

“He tries to save everyone-” 

“Then WHERE WAS HE when _I_ needed help?” Rhino slammed his fist down on the table, the plates jumped, the mug spilled over. 

“This isn’t about _you_ !” Spider-Man stood up, “As soon as you stop making everyone’s actions into a slight against you things will get _so much better_ ! Spider-Man probably _didn’t_ help you because he was busy trying to save people who _don’t_ have rhino skin! Being a hero is hard, you have to learn how to prioritize!” 

“Now we’re prioritizing? Get lost, Spider-Man,” his lips curled back in a snarl. 

“W-What?”

“I won’t be betrayed again.”

“I’m not gonna betray you, man. I’m just trying to be here for you.” 

“I ain’t a charity case, ‘n I said _get lost._ ” Why was he feeling so… gross inside? Aleskei had battled, had fought, had been on the wrong side of things. But he never felt this way before. Like he knew there was a level of him being wrong here, but he couldn’t find it in him to care. He was hurt. Why did this hurt him? How did this interaction with a Spider-Man hurt him more than any of his fights with the bigger Spider-Man? 

“Dude… no, like -”

“Leave. I’m gettin’ angry.” 

“Come on, I can help you-”

“GO.” 

Rhino’s gaze was hard at the coffee mug, now half full as the liquid spread across the table, dripping to the floor. But he wasn’t moving. He heard footsteps. The door opened and closed. And he knew he was alone again. 

As he let out his breath though, the door opened again. Footsteps grew nearer. 

“Kid, I said-” He finally looked up. Instead of that now familiar black-and-red mask, he saw the withered wrinkles and pointed chin of a crooked old man. 

“No one’s called me a kid in years, Aleksei, I quite like it,” the eyes were twinkling, but with nothing that brought Aleksei any kind of comfort. 

“What do you want, Toomes?” 

“A little birdy told me that Spider-Man Lite came by here.” 

“Leave the kid alone, Toomes. He ain’t done nothing to you that you probably didn’t deserve already.” 

“Oh, don’t worry, I will. I’m not interested in the small catches. There are bigger fish in this ocean,” he was tapping his nails on the table, grabbing the young boy’s fork and going after the rest of his food. Like a vulture. “Bigger _spiders_ in the house.” 

“I ain’t paying for that no more,” Rhino kept his gaze forward, unable to watch the older man. 

“That’s fine. You’re going to pay me with something better.”

Aleksei grunted, keeping his face expressionless. He wanted to do nothing that would give the man before him any leverage, “I ain’t doing no jobs for you, I promised I’d be better.” 

“Ah, you did? Did you promise Spider-Man?” 

There was something in that silky, yet scratchy tone that caused Rhino to snap to attention. Adrian was talking about the kid. “I said. Leave. Him. Alone.”

“You know I have connections to this place,” Adrian leaned in, “And she heard a hint of something of value. A name. Didn’t mean for me to find out, I know that much, but you know - things happen.”

Aleksei’s throat went dry. He had promised. Why was it so important to him? To keep his promise to a _Spider-Man_ of all people? Was he really so connected to the kid? Was it because the guy gave him a chance? Spent time with him? Treated him as a… a friend?

“I see it on your face. Tell me. Just tell me his name, and I’ll leave the little one alone. You and I both know the bigger one is worth more anyway. No one is going to be impressed because I killed a kid. But killing the other guy? Yeah, I want that.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“I know you’re lying, now tell me Aleksei,” he was seething, speaking through his teeth, barring them in threat.

“I’m telling you nothing,” he caught Adrian’s glare, matching it with his own. His nostrils flared, his head bowed slightly to highlight his horn. He had no trouble escalating this. Especially against someone like the Vulture. 

Adrian sensed the rising tension and backed away, probably figuring that as smart as he was, he wouldn’t stand much of a chance against Rhino’s raw power. But the look on Adrian’s face told Aleksei that there was another card up his sleeve.

“If you don’t tell me, then I’ll just have to settle. The young one is still green, and sure, not as much glory but still. A spider-man is a spider-man. I’ll _destroy_ him if you don’t tell me.” 

“If you touch him, I will trample you into paste.” 

“But it will be too late. And you’ll lose the only person who would sit in this dump and talk to a slow fool like yourself,” Vulture leaned in, “Make your decision, Rhino. Tell me the name.”

“What makes you so sure you’re even a threat to the guy? As you said, a spider-man is a spider-man, and how many times have you defeated a spider-man?”

“I’ve got a plan. It’s up to you who suffers through it. What would you lose by telling me? The boy won’t know, the other one won’t realize before it’s too late, and you get to have your little diner dates. Everyone wins, except for -?”

Vulture had left the pause, waiting for Rhino to fill it. 

Rhino took a deep breath.


End file.
